POPS FERNANDEZ and Martin Nievera had a very successful concert series late last year in the U.S. that brought them all over the States from Atlantic City NJ and Jacksonville, Florida to Virginia and Chicago, Las Vegas, Seattle to various places in California. It was titled “Twogether Again 2019”.
“We were overwhelmed by the very warm reception our Kababayans gave us anywhere we go,” says Martin. “And most of them have not moved on. They think of us as the same Martin and Pops of the 80s when we were doing ‘Penthouse Live’. They clamor for the songs popular during that era and Pops and I just loved it!”
“I became super sentimental as it was very touching to see our fans gathered together to watch us perform again,” adds Pops. “In Las Vegas, our sons Robin and Ram, plus Santino (Martin’s 12-year old son with Katrina Ojeda), joined us on stage in M Resort Casino and the response was just unbelievable.
Martin and I revived the songs we did before, with Robin playing the guitar, Santino playing the drums and Ram singing with us. The audience was cheering us all and it’s an unforgettable, magical moment.”
The crowd was so big they were not able to accommodate all their fans, so they staged a repeat last December 14 in Los Angeles and December 15 at they Bay Area. Their last show was in Las Vegas on Decmber 21 then they returned to Manila to do a New Year’s Eve show at Solaire.
Now, they’re doing “Twogether Again” as a Valentine Show at the Solaire on February 14 and 15 with Rita Daniela and Ken Chan as their special guests, February 17, 18 and 19 with Joaquin Domagoso (son of Mayor Isko) as their guest, and on February 20 and 21 with L.A. Santos as their guest. Their son Robin will also be performing with them.
After Solaire, they will continue their concert tour abroad doing shows in four cities in Canada. Yes, despite their separation, they have maintained being good friends off cam and a long lasting love team with their loyal fans on the concert stage.
They met when they were still both newbies as hosts of “Penthouse Live” in 1982 and they became the Original Concert King and Concert Queen. They got married in 1986, broke up ten years later and their marriage was eventually annulled.
Do they still feel any romantic tension between them? “Tapos na kami sa ganun,” says Pops. “We’ve both moved on and we just enjoy performing with each other. We don’t even rehearse, we don’t even discuss what we’ll do on stage, everything is spontaneous.
"Martin makes it all so easy, alam na namin ang blockings and spiels na gagawin namin in each show. It’s true that time heals all wounds and I try to remember only all the good stuff when we’re still together.”
Martin says he salutes Pops for being a wonderful mom to their two sons. “We’re blessed to have very good kids and it’s all because Pops raised them well by herself. She never spoke badly of me to our kids.
"I’ve seen Pops grow, specially now on social media, sa Instagram, sa Facebook. I’m really amazed at how great she grew. She went into business and is now also a movie and concert producer.”
You can get tickets for their Valentine show, ranging from P1,250 to P7,500 at Ticketworld tel. 8891-9999 and online at ticketworld.com.ph. The producers of their show are Anna Puno, Daddy Wowie and Mommy Flor Santos, sponsored by Ferlin Baby Products, Zim, Nurture, Debt Aid, Doon Thai and Asian Fusion Cuisine, for the benefit of the Knox United Methodist Church.
